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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29255169">A New Friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanaboston/pseuds/beanaboston'>beanaboston</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Werewolf Sniper (and friends) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Team Fortress 2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>American Sign Language, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Dissociation, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Literal Sleeping Together, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Canon, Trans Male Character, autistic sniper, werewolf sniper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:13:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29255169</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanaboston/pseuds/beanaboston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"He steps into a small clearing, and with it comes total silence. A monster. A monster with large sharp teeth, long claws, and scruffy ears. Werewolf. A werewolf. Covered in blood."</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Mundy finds a creature in the woods. He takes it home to let it heal, and becomes attached.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Title and summary is subject to change.</p><p>Update 2/11: did some reworking of the first half of chapter 1 to make reading it more clear.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Werewolf Sniper (and friends) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150832</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first multi-chapter fic. It's completely written and I will probably post 1 chapter a day.</p><p>Mundy is Australian, the future RED Sniper (close to the canon Sniper), and autistic. Mick is American, the future BLU Sniper, autistic, semi-verbal, trans, and a werewolf.</p><p>TW: emetophobia, blood, violence, description of panic attacks, dissociation, if you feel i missed something let me know!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mick growled at the man in front of him. He had managed to knock his pistol away, but not before being shot just above his hip. The man pulled a sharp-looking knife out of his belt. He was determined to take out Mick before the rest of his team got here. Before Mick had a chance to react the man was on top of him. Sitting on him, pinning his arms with his legs the man sneered.</p><p>"Hmm, should be a while before my team finds us. Let's have some fun first shall we," the man purrs. Mick's breath hitched as the man pressed his knife into the skin just below his eyebrow. Mick hissed in pain as the knife went deeper. When he pulls the knife away Mick takes his shot and digs his sharp teeth into the man's hand. The taste of blood washes over his tongue and he wants to vomit. The man punches him in the face, trying to get Mick to let go. Dazed, Mick releases his grip. The man, holding his bleeding hand, growls at Mick and grabs the knife from where he had dropped it. He slashes viscously at Mick's eye. Mick feels a searing pain and something snaps.</p><p>Mundy adjusts his hat and pauses. He had been hunting for hours, but his luck had only yielded a sore ankle. A scream had pierced through the calm forest, sending birds scattering. Mundy begins moving through the trees, towards the source of the scream. He may be a sniper, but he has standards. Whoever that is, that was a scream of pure terror. He needed to help. Mundy deftly avoids tripping on the fallen branches and as he runs he ponders the scream. What happened? A bear attack? A murder? He slows as approaches a clearing. Mundy grimaces at a wet tearing noise emanating from beyond the trees. He steps into the small clearing, and with it comes total silence. A monster. A monster with large sharp teeth, long claws, and scruffy ears. Werewolf. A werewolf. Covered in blood. Devouring a man. He raises his gun and aims it at Mick's head. He turns to him and Mundy pauses. Those eyes, or rather the one that he could see. They may be the eyes of a creature, but they're also the eyes of someone scared for their life. Someone who was backed into a corner and did what they felt was the only option. Both man and monster turn their heads as they hear someone walking closer. Another man, Mundy lowers his gun and prepares to call a warning to the other man, when the unknown man pulls out a gun and aims right at the Mick's head. Mundy is faster. BANG. </p><p>Mick flinches as a gunshot rings through the forest. He had heard guns before but it felt ten times louder to him right now. He opens his eyes to see the lab agent slumped against a tree, a clean hole in the center of his forehead. His head feels fuzzy as he turns back to the other man. Why does he feel like this? What's going on? He feels himself sway. The last thing his brain registers is his body hitting the ground.</p><p>Mundy jumps when Mick takes a shaky step towards him. Something seems wrong... The monster falls to the ground. Mundy inches closer, trying to assess the situation. After the monster doesn't respond at a small poke, Mundy rolls him over. Wuff, he's heavy. He does a cursory glance to make sure there were no wounds that needed field treatment. Noticing the bullet wound, he takes his pack off. Cutting his shirt into pieces he does his best to pack the hole before using the monster's shirt and duct tape as a bandage. <em> “It’s wearing clothes... and was that a binder?” </em> Now that he's no longer at risk of bleeding out Mundy steps back to check out the other two men. The first is... well... the only way to describe him is eviscerated. Wild animals will take care of him pretty soon. As for the other guy, Mundy decides he'll take care of it later. He goes back to Mick and notices he's changed. It no longer has such large teeth or claws. No tail and ears either. It could almost pass for human at a glance. He hauls the creature into a fireman's carry, <em>“It... feels lighter somehow. Strange,” </em>and begins the several mile trek back to his cabin. </p><p>Mundy ponders the situation as he walks. He has this... monster... pressed against his back, covered in blood. It's hard to tell how much is its own and how much is that of the man it killed. It killed that man, and here he is. Carrying it to his home. There was that other man too, the one he shot and killed. It was far from his first kill but it had been a while that he killed someone so close up. He may have been a hired killer but the mess the monster left behind made him feel a little sick. Mundy shakes his head and pauses to adjust his hold on Mick. He pulls his phone out and notices he's got one bar. He thought he would've had to drive to his contacts practice, but maybe she could meet him at his cabin. She had been there before, so the call only needed to last long enough to get the information to her. He dials her number and it's picked up within seconds.</p><p>"Mu... Are ... alright?" Liz's voice is interspersed with static. </p><p>"'M fine, got a bloke here who's not though. Gunshot and knife wounds. Get yer kit to my place yeah?" Mundy speaks as clearly as he can. </p><p>"Ah. You're... ing up. Meet at your pla... and bri... my supplies?"</p><p>"Yep. Correct. Got an injured person here. I'm about 30 minutes out."</p><p>"Ok. I'll see... in 20." He shrugs and hangs up. That could've gone better but at least she got the point. He adjusts his hold again and resumes his trek. </p><p> </p><p>------------------</p><p> </p><p>Mundy had yet again called her out of the blue. Liz didn't even know he was back in town. She grips the steering wheel. Mundy had said he was alright, but she never knew with that man. He was always putting those around him before himself, especially when they were civilians. He sounded shaken on the phone, so she suspected something had gone down and a civilian got injured. She ponders this, <em> “But.. if it was a civilian why would he be calling her. Shouldn't he be calling an ambulance? He always has his reasons I guess.” </em> She should consider herself lucky that he's at least well enough to call her and request help. That in itself is worrying though. Usually, he would just show up at her practice, covered in blood. She dreads to think what she will find during this house call. </p><p> </p><p>------------------</p><p> </p><p>Mundy arrives back at his cabin shortly after Liz. He goes through the back door and nearly runs into Liz who was ferrying water from the kitchen to his dining room table. </p><p>"Oh..." Her eyes grow wide at the amount of blood covering both men. </p><p>"I already told you 'm fine. A good bit from this guy. The rest is from the other guy," Mundy speaks casually.</p><p>"Holy shit, no one can lose that much blood and live..." her voice is shaky. She looks at Mundy, clearly a bit scared and looking for reassurance but he just shrugs and places the unconscious man on the table.</p><p>"Oh my God. Oh my God." She knew of his profession but this was the closest she had gotten to it.</p><p>"Bullet wound to the abdomen above the hip. Knife wounds to the face, who knows what kinda internal injuries it's got," Mundy catalogs the injured out loud to Liz. She misses Mundy's use of pronouns. She cracks her knuckles before speaking.</p><p>"Well, let's do this."</p><p> </p><p>------------------</p><p> </p><p>Mundy places the monster on his couch. He’s still covered in dirt and blood, but at least he was no longer at risk of bleeding out. Liz had said the "man" would lose his sight in that eye, and unless he was lucky his eye too. She also gave him another lecture about her being a vet. She did not appreciate his response of the patient not being human. He scratches his stubble and wonders if she'll be back. He should probably text her, make sure she's not going crazy from the knowledge that monsters exist.</p><p>"Ah, bugger. I'll do that tomorrow. I'm bloody exhausted." True to his words, Mundy is too tired to internalize his thoughts. He glances back at the couch as he thinks he sees motion... But.. the monster is still. Must've been a trick of the light. Mundy barely makes it into bed before he passes out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the wait for anyone who was waiting! I was sick in bed the past two days.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy awakens with a start. His instincts on high alert. He can feel the presence of someone in the room. He scans the room, staying stock still and keeping his breath even and slow. His eyes land on a human shape, it must be the monster. His eyes lock onto it, just watching. It seems to be hunched over in the corner, making little huffing noises. Thankfully it hasn't noticed Mundy is awake, or even in the room, it seems. Mundy settles down and prepares himself for an all-night watch. He was foolish to fall asleep with that monster free to roam his home. He pauses as the monster's noises increase in volume. Is it.. crying? Ah, whatever. Let it cry. Probably just upset it got caught. But... If that was the case why wouldn't it just leave? He can hear it hissing in pain underneath its sobs and a pang of sympathy runs through him. He can still remember the first he was recovering from a gunshot without pain killers. Maybe that's why it's crying? It's in pain? Mundy supposes that makes sense, if it looked that human it probably had human reactions to pain. A particularly loud sob rings through the room and before Mundy can even realize what he's doing he speaks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's awright mate." He does a mental facepalm as the creature goes silent. He sighs and turns on his bedside lamp. No point in pretending to be asleep anymore. He looks back at the creature and realizes it's trembling, and rocking in place slightly. Its one visible pupil is a slit. Mundy assumes it's from the sudden light. The sight is pitiful, this monster that tore a man to shreds with nothing but its claws and teeth is now a shivering mess. The sight pulls at his heart. Now that it's quiet he can hear the monster's breathing. Shallow and fast. Much too fast. He sighs inwardly at himself as he gets out of bed. He shouldn't be doing this. The creature presses itself even further into the corner as Mundy sits on the floor a little ways away. He speaks in a soft voice, "Hey. It's gonna be awright." The creature looks at him and Mundy wonders if the creature understood him. Probably not, it's probably just reacting to his soft tone. Now that he's closer, he can see the light reflecting off its eye. It vaguely reminds him of a wild cat. He tries to remember how he comforted his friends all those years ago. Moving slowly, Mundy scoots closer to the creature. The creature watches him but doesn't appear to be looking for a way out. Vaguely Mundy worries that this is a trap, but he looks at his eye again. They're filled with fear. Once he's close enough Mundy reaches out a hand and places it on the creature's head. He grimaces at the feeling of knots, mud, and blood. The creature stills and blinks slowly. Now that he knows the creature won't rip his arm for touching it he starts moving his hand through the creature's messy hair. As he goes he gently works the looser knots out. He pauses and listens for a moment. A wheezing sound is coming out of the creature, from deep in its chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Is it </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>purring</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He ponders this for a moment before continuing carding his hand through its hair. Slowly its breathing returns to normal, and it seems as if it's going to fall asleep. Satisfied with how calm it is, Mundy pulls his hand away and prepares to go back to his own bed. The creature opens its eyes and whines. He sighs and settles back in, entangling his hand in the creature's hair. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Guess I'm gonna be here all night.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Before long, Mundy has been lulled asleep by the creatures purring. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mundy wakes up to a warm body stirring next to him. He cracks open his eyes as the creature he had been snuggling stands up. It stares at him for a moment, squirming. It exits the room before Mundy can even scramble up from the floor. He whips his head around, looking for where it's gone, and notices the closed bathroom door. Without thinking he grabs the handle and a deep growl comes from within. He pulls his hand away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh. It's using the bathroom like a person.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After considering this for a moment he returns to his room and digs through his closet. He finds what he was looking for, a box of old clothing he hadn't bothered to get rid of. He digs through it and finds a shirt and shorts he had long stopped wearing. The </span>
  <span>other man</span>
  <span> creature was a bit smaller than him, but they should fit well enough. He almost runs into the creature coming out of the bathroom. It jumps back and furrows its brows at the bundle of clothing. "Ey mate, we should probably get that blood and muck off you huh? Let's get you in the tub," Mundy acts as if he's speaking to a child. The creature growls at him slightly and takes the clothes. It turns back around and enters the bathroom. Mundy starts to follow but gets a hiss and finger in the chest in return. He puts his hands up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awright. I won't come in with you but at least let me help you with those bandages." The creature pauses for a moment before nodding and allowing Mundy to follow. He grabs the scissors he keeps in the bathroom for trimming his hair and gets to work cutting the bandages off. Huh... the cuts are already starting to heal. It will still take quite a while to heal fully but they look much better already. He sets the scissors on the edge of the sink and notices the creature's eye lock onto them. He watches warily as the creature reaches out and picks them up. It snaps them a few times before... starting to cut its hair? Mundy watches it in fascination as it slowly grows more frustrated trying to hack away at the shoulder-length hair. Mundy approaches again and takes the scissors from his hands. He whines and starts to turn his head to look at Mundy. He simply places his hand on his head and turns it back forward. Mundy cards his hand through the hair one more time before chopping it away. He makes quick work of it. It's messy and dirty but it's short. That seems to make the creature happy. He leaves it looking in the mirror to prepare coffee and breakfast. On an average day, Mundy wouldn't drink coffee, but after that he needs it. He fills his favorite mug with black coffee and takes a sip. It does little to calm the strange feeling he's had since the night before. He hears the water turn on in the bathroom and breathes a sigh of relief. Whatever this creature is, it evidently knows what a shower is. Did it understand when he said shower or was it the hand gestures he subconsciously does while speaking? He'll have to do some testing later. He turns to the fridge to prepare some breakfast. Unsure of what the creature's diet is he begins cooking a variety.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He's just finishing up plating the final dish when the creature walks in. It resembles a child playing dress-up with their parents' clothes. Mundy almost finds it cute until he takes note of the slit pupils and sharp fangs. He shakes his head slightly and grabs a second mug from the cabinet. He refills his mug with coffee and fills the second with water. He turns back to the table and is surprised. Not only has the creature sat at the table, but it's holding a fork and knife gazing at the food in front of it. He quickly shrugs it off and places the water in front of the creature. It quickly gulps it down before Mundy can go around the table to place his own mug down. He shakes his head and refills the mug. The creature drinks it again, much slower this time. It watches Mundy as he takes some of the bacon and pancakes. He takes a bite and looks up at the creature. He notices it's fidgeting, so he gestures to the food in what he hopes is a "go ahead" motion. He apparently gets his point across because the creature blinks. Once. Twice. Then hesitantly reaches for the bacon.</p><p>The creature ends up eating nearly twice as much as Mundy, but he doesn't mind. He cooked plenty of food. He gathers some of the dishes and brings them to the sink. He turns to retrieve the rest and nearly bumps into the other man. The man makes a small squeak before handing the dishes he was holding to Mundy. Mundy begins washing the dishes, vaguely aware of the eyes (or rather, eye) on his back. He tries to ignore it but the feeling just worms its way back into his consciousness. This isn't right. This is his quiet time. This is his routine. He washes the dishes in silence and loses himself in the soapy water.</p><p>He huffs and turns around, startling the other man. "Just go in the living room and watch the telly or something wanker," he speaks sharply and without thinking. The man flinches and skitters away. He shakes his head, he'll have to apologize later. He shakes his head again, no. He doesn't have to. The creature clearly only understands tone voice. He continues washing the dishes, letting himself drift. He snaps back to reality when he hears some noise. <em> "My God, is he actually watching the television? I guess he does understand English." </em> Mundy pauses. <em> "When did IT become HE?" </em> He shakes his head. <em> “Whatever, </em> <em> he </em> <em> it is just an animal. Most animals can learn what certain words mean. That doesn't mean they understand how English works as a language.” </em> He takes nearly twice as long with each dish as he would normally, even opting to dry and put them away. He enters the living room wiping the water from his hands. The other man is fixated on the TV, playing some stupid sitcom. Mundy rolls his eyes, he’s always despised these kinds of shows. He notices the other man is making small noises, and Mundy assumes he's mimicking the TV. Simply making noise, not actually forming words.</p><p>Until he speaks clearly, "Give me all the bacon and eggs you have."</p><p>Once again Mundy's mouth moves faster than his mind, "You can talk?!" He cringes inwardly as the other man jumps up from his seat on the couch and whips around. Mundy observes fear in his eyes and for a moment he thinks he's going to jump out the window to escape. The man instead nods, almost imperceptibly subtle. Mundy puts his hands up and moves closer slowly, sitting in the armchair adjacent to the couch. The other man watches him for a moment before sitting down as well.</p><p>"So if you can talk, why haven't you been?" The other man grimaces and places a hand on his neck. Mundy cocks his head, "Your throat was dry?" The other man shakes his head in response. He thinks for a moment before tapping his temple, then the base of his neck, and ends it by making an X in front of his mouth. "Y-you're mute? Uh, what's the word. Nonverbal?" The other man brightens at the understanding and nods before wiggling his hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "So a little nonverbal. Alright I can work with that. Can you write?" The happy expression on the man's face sours before he shrugs. "So you can write a little bit? That's awright. I'm gonna go grab somethin', stay put." Mundy leaves the other man on the couch to go find some writing supplies.</p><p>It doesn't take long before he's back in front of the man. He hands a pad of paper and a black pen to the man with a question. "What's yur name? You even got one?" The man nods sharply and holds the pen to the paper for a moment thinking. His writing is slow and shaky but Mundy can still make out the letters. </p><p>MykUL and Mik.</p><p>"Micheal or Mick huh." The other man lights up at hearing his name. It had been so long since someone had said his name, and with a smile on their face! Mick takes the paper and holds it next to his face. He points at his name and then his face before gesturing to Mundy. "Oh! I never told ya my name did I? It's Mundy." Mick sets the paper down and starts writing.</p><p>MUNb.</p><p>Mundy snorts at the misspelling and takes the paper from Mick. Underneath each name, he writes the proper spelling. When he hands it back, Mick copies them. </p><p>The pair spend a few hours writing and copying words before Mundy decides it's time for a break. He stands and stretches. "Awright. I gotta take care of that guy I shot yesterday. You gonna come with?" Mick thinks for a moment before nodding. "Awright. Let's find you a pair of shoes, your old ones are pretty well used up." It takes several minutes but Mundy finally finds a pair of rain boots that fit Mick well enough. "Let's get going then."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: emetophobia, description of a panic attack</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mick goes ahead for most of the walk back to that clearing, however, he slows as they get closer. He's not sure why but something feels wrong. Mundy glances back towards him when he stops near the edge. He follows Mundy into the clearing and the feeling intensifies. Every nerve in his body is screaming something is wrong. He tries to grab Mundy's arm when his eyes land on... Something. It seems almost blurry and all he can hear is static. Slowly his eye focuses as the static in his ears intensifies. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Jesus. It's a body. Oh, God.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> His vision darkens and his grip on Mundy tightens (when did he grab him?) He killed this man. Oh, God. He can taste the blood. Hear bones breaking. Feel his claws tearing through his flesh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy turns around just in time to see Mick vomit. Mundy shouts, "Oh shit!" He tries to jump back but that just causes Mick's claws to dig into his arm. He looks at Mick's face to ask him why he's holding him so tight but stops short. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh shit. He's panicking. I gotta do something."</span>
  </em>
  <span> He takes his free hand and turns Mick's head towards his. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Did he grow a few inches? We're eye to eye now.. Whatever, deal with the weird shape changing later. Right now calm him down."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mick." Some awareness comes into his eye when he hears his name. "Mick. Whatever's happening in your head, you're safe." He blinks and tries to stick his hand in his mouth. "Ah! No, don't do that. That'll hurt." He takes Mick's hand in his own and he growls. He leans against Mundy and starts gnawing on his shirt collar. "Ugh. That's gross, but at least he's not self harming." Mundy slowly guides Mick out of the clearing. He's not sure what triggered this but whatever it was is in that clearing. Mick allows himself to be pulled away, he doesn't let it continue for long before letting go of Mundy and slamming down onto the forest floor. Mundy follows him and notices him struggling with his clothing. "You want it off?" Mick doesn't seem to hear him, so Mundy slowly helps him take the boots off. Then the pants, thankful he doesn't seem to be worried about the boxers. But the shirt... "Ah! I don't think you wanna take that off!" Mick growls and when Mundy doesn't help him he simply tears the shirt to get it off. Mundy looks up at the canopy of leaves, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Damn. Should've washed his clothes. He's not wearing a binder."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mundy squawks as he's pulled down into a hug. Mick seems unbothered by his nudity and is hugging Mundy tightly against him. He begins gnawing on the collar of Mundy's shirt again. Mundy sighs, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Guess I'm gonna have to throw this shirt out. No way it's salvageable with how sharp his teeth are."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mick starts fiddling with whatever his hands can grasp. Mundy makes a mental note to order some stim toys. The pair stays there until Mick's breathing evens out. He pulls his face away from Mick's shirt. Now wet with tears, snot, and slobber. Mundy grimaces and as soon as Mick fully detaches himself he takes it off. He passes it to Mick after thinking for a moment. It'll be better than the one he has been wearing. This one is at least in a single piece (sort of). Mick flushes slightly, seemingly just now aware he's naked. He gratefully takes it and slips it on. It almost fits him, since he's slightly transformed. That won't last long though. Mundy helps Mick stand, and they start the walk back to the cabin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time they make it back to the cabin the sun is already starting to set. Mundy rubs the back of his head as he kicks off his shoes. "I don't have much food left, so I've gotta go shopping tomorrow." Mick nods. He had finally calmed down enough to shrink the few inches he had grown in the panic and was exhausted. He sits at the table and watches Mundy for a few minutes. He lays his head down and closes his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy turns around to ask Mick what he'd prefer and sees that he's fallen asleep on the table. Sighing, Mundy picks him up and carries him out to the couch. He covers him with a blanket and leaves him to sleep. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mick cracks his eyes open. He feels like he's slept for a year. It takes a moment for his eye to adjust and focus on the man sleeping in the armchair across from him. He looks at the coffee table and notices a plate of food. He sits up and takes it into his lap. It's long since gone cold, but Mick doesn't mind. It's still better than the stuff he had eaten in the forest. He eats slowly, finally taking the time to actually look at the other man. Now that he was asleep, he wasn't as intimidating. Mundy's skin is almost completely unmarked. He's got a few scars on his arms, likely from the strange animals in whatever country he came from. Mick thinks for a moment and realizes he knows almost nothing about this man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he finishes eating, Mick decides to explore the cabin. In nearly every corner is some kind of weapon. It's clear Mundy is in some kind of illegal business, no one would have this many hidden knives and guns if they weren't. For some strange reason, this only serves to make Mick feel even safer with him. He can't find any kind of photos of family or friends. If someone were to come looking for Mundy, they wouldn't know he was living here at first glance. Nothing Mick finds gives him any clues about the man sleeping in the other room. He does find a lockbox with a well-worn lock. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Hm. I bet that's where all his identifying items are. Maybe I could ask him.. ah.. right.."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mick frowns and places a hand on his neck. The first time he spoke since he left the facility was when he was echoing the TV. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Making up for all the times I was forced to talk I suppose." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick doesn't find anything else of interest so he goes back to the couch. He curls into a ball, feeling cold. He stares at Mundy, remembering how warm he was when he was hugging him during his meltdown. He's been cold for as long as he can remember... The only other time Mick remembers being warm is vague memories of a woman hugging him, she must be his mother. He shakes his head, trying to dispel the empty feeling that's settled into his chest. He shivers. It's plenty warm in the room, but he still feels cold. He looks back at Mundy and he warms ever so slightly. Mick stands up and takes a few steps towards Mundy. He hesitates before reaching out touching his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mundy is awoken by someone touching his arm. He cracks his eyes open and sees Mick standing above him. He startles slightly and opens his eyes fully. Mick is gently chewing his finger. He reaches his own hand up and takes Mick's hand out of his mouth. He gives it a quick glance to make sure it's not bleeding before he stands up. Mick shivers when Mundy pulls his hands away and he pauses. He asks, "You cold?" Mick shakes his head in response but doesn't have the words nor the hand gestures to say what he's feeling. Mundy seems to ponder this for a moment before picking Mick up and carrying him to his bedroom. Mick protests for a moment before melting into Mundy's chest. Warm. Mick whines when Mundy sets him on his bed and walks away. "Don' worry. I'll be right back. Just gotta grab something." Mick watches him move boxes in his closet. "Ah! Here it is!" He drags the large box over closer to the bed before opening it. Mick watches Mundy curiously as he pulls a soft-looking blanket out of the box. "Lay down for me." Mick does and Mundy lays the blanket on top of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost immediately, Mick starts purring. The weight of the blanket comforts him. It makes him feel warm, but not as warm as Mundy does. Mick picks up his head looking around for Mundy. He seems to be changing into different clothes so Mick looks elsewhere, giving the other man some privacy. Mundy flicks the light off and climbs into the bed. It's a large enough bed that if they both lied on the edge they could barely touch shoulders. Mick squirms his arms out of the cocoon and reaches out for Mundy. Mundy turns when he feels Mick pulling on his shoulder and gives him a questioning look. Mick growls lightly, since Mundy won't move closer he'll just have to be the one to move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy stares as Mick begins to half crawl half slide across the bed. He realizes he's trying to get closer so he puts a hand out to stop Mick near the center of the bed. He whines and Mundy takes his turn at moving closer. He lifts the weighted blanket and crawls underneath. Mick immediately presses against him and the rumble in his chest increases. Mundy smiles a bit, before speaking softly, "Snuggly boy aren't ya." Mick sighs in pleasure and curls up in a ball, his face tucked into Mundy's neck. Mundy pats the back of Mick's head. He closes his eyes, letting himself drift. It's not long before the comfort lulls him into a deep sleep</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mick is woken up by movement next to him, or rather in his arms. He cracks open his eyes to see that he had fallen asleep hugging Mundy. He reluctantly loosens his grip enough for Mundy to leave. In Mundy's absence, he opts to hug his pillow instead. Mick hears Mundy moving around the house and closes his eyes. Despite being unable to sleep anymore Mick stays in bed until Mundy comes to wake him for breakfast. "C'mon mate. It's not as fancy as yesterday but I got some food for ya." Mundy almost thinks Mick had already left the bed before his head pops out from his makeshift nest. His hair sticks out in all directions and Mundy smiles as he paws at his eyes, wincing when he rubs the stitches a little too roughly. Mick turns to Mundy. His injured eye can open to about 40%. He's making good progress towards healing but still has a ways to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Am I gonna have to carry you to the table?" Mundy is only half-joking. Mick is light enough it would be no issue to pluck him out of the bed and carry him down the hall. Mick shakes his head and mouths a no, before sliding out of the bed himself. Mundy leaves the room, letting him get dressed. He had given him what he could of his original clothes. The only things not totally destroyed were his binder (which was in surprisingly good condition considering everything he had gone through) and a torn vest. Having decided his binder and underwear were enough to eat breakfast he throws the vest on and goes to the kitchen. Mundy snorts at the lack of real clothing and places a bowl of cereal in front of him. "It ain't much, but it'll last ya until I get back with some food." Mick nods and begins eating. It's not too unlike the slop he was given in the facility. Mick decides he doesn't like whatever this food item is, but he's so hungry he wouldn't care if WAS from the facility. Any food is better than no food. Mick looks up from his empty bowl to see Mundy preparing to leave. He makes a noise in alarm and scrambles towards him. "Hey, it's awright. I'll come back. I'm just going shoppin’." Mick whines and wrings his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alone." They're both surprised at the single word spoken. Mundy shakes off his shock and doesn't make a big deal of him speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't want to be alone?" Mick nods hesitantly. Mundy sighs and rubs the back of his head. "I guess you can come with me, but we gotta get some clothes on you first." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mundy finds a pair of pants for Mick to wear. They're a little long but nothing some rolling can't fix. He decides the binder looks enough like a tank top that it's acceptable to wear in public. One last thing. He digs through his closet one more time, and hopefully for the last. He finally finds what he's looking for and places them on Mick's face. A pair of heavily tinted sunglasses. Even if you looked right up close, you couldn't see his eyes through them. Mundy nods before putting on his own, less tinted sunglasses. "Let's go."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy locks the door behind them and walks over to his car. Mick trails behind him slowly. Mick isn't quite sure what to make of the car. He'd seen them before of course, but he's never ridden in one before. Mundy notices him eyeing the car warily and beckons Mick to follow him. He opens the passenger door for Mick, "You sit there, I'll go around the other side and sit in the other seat." Mundy points to the seat next to him. Mick turns and sees all kinds of buttons and switches and dials. By the time his eye has absorbed it all Mundy is already sitting in his own seat, starting to buckle up. Mick turns towards his door and finds his. He struggles, his arms not going where they should. He hears a click and Mundy is reaching over. He arranges Mick's arms and buckles him up. "I'll teach you how to do it properly some other time. We've got a long drive ahead." Mick tilts his head and Mundy continues, "I called this book store a couple towns away. They've got some books to teach adults how to read and write. Figured you could use em." Mick nods slightly and settles into the seat. Mick startles when Mundy starts the car but seeing that Mundy isn't worried by the noise he calms down quickly. Mundy pulls away from his cabin and starts down the dirt road.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It doesn't take long for Mick to get bored. Mundy takes note of him tapping a pattern out on his leg. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"He must be understimulated,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mundy sighs and turns on the radio. He prefers driving in silence but it'll be worse to deal with a severely understimulated person. He puts it on a random station and starts looking for some kind of store. He's gotta buy something for Mick to stim with, and fast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick watches Mundy press a button on the dashboard and music starts playing. A radio? He makes a questioning noise, reaching for a dial. Mundy looks at him before speaking, "that one controls the volume. This one here will change the station." Mick nods and reaches for the station dial. He turns it and only hears static, he whines looking at Mundy for guidance. He smirks before explaining, "You just gotta keep turning it mate." He hesitantly starts turning it again. The static fades to music and he grins. He keeps turning the dial until something catches his interest. He's heard this before! He twists the dial, getting the music as clear as he can. He leans back in his seat and starts humming. He feels good. He drums his hands on his legs but it's still not enough. Oh! He loves this part!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've finally found myself. Fighting for a chance." He opens his mouth and starts singing. He knows it's off-key, and out of sync but he doesn't care. Energy is buzzing inside of him and he needs it out. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Dissociation</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy glances over when the music stops changing. Some 2000's pop-rock song is playing. He's heard it before but it's been too long to remember. He notices Mick stimming energy out, so he turns it up for him. Suddenly, Mick opens his mouth and starts singing. Mundy startles, he almost forgot he can talk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come, break me down. Bury me, bury me. I am finished with you, you, you." Mundy smiles. His singing is terrible, but this is the first time he's seen him actually smiling. Mundy spots a promising looking store just as the song ends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, let's try to find something for you to stim with here." Mick cocks his head. "Wait, you.. probably don't know what stimmin’ is. Uhh. Like.. the tappin’ you were doin’, or chewin’ on my shirt. Like.. just somethin’ to play with in your hands so you don't get so bored you hurt yourself," Mundy tries to explain. Mick still looks utterly confused so Mundy gives up. "Come on, I'll just find somethin’ to show you an example." Mick barely manages to unbuckle himself and jumps out of the car. He jumps a few times to get the last of his energy before settling down. "That! That right there was stimmin’!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick pauses. Stimming? Was that what he was doing? He was just getting the excess energy out of his legs... But maybe that's what it was. Mundy shakes his head and just gestures for Mick to follow him. This was going to be a long day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mundy enters the store, Mick nearly clinging to him. He speaks quietly, "It's ok. I'm right here. Let's go to the kids' aisle." Mundy grabs Mick's hand to help anchor him before looking at the signs. "This way." They start walking, ignoring the few stares they get. Mundy flushes slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Whatever. People can think whatever they want. All that matters is Mick is comfortable."</span>
  </em>
  <span> They arrive at the correct aisle and Mick squints at all the bright colors. "C'mon. We've gotta find something that you can stim with."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's that word again. Stim. Mick lets himself be guided around the toy aisle while he gets lost in his thoughts. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Drumming, chewing, and jumping are stimming. I wanted to press all the buttons in the car. Was that stimming too? What about when I used to pull on my hair, was that stimming?"</span>
  </em>
  <span> He's pulled out of his thoughts by Mundy's voice. He hears him speak, but can't interpret what he said. "Wha.." his voice sounds so small in his own ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy had been so focused on finding a stim toy he didn't even notice Mick getting lost in his thoughts. He asks Mick what he thinks of a toy and all he gets in response is a sleepy what. "Mick. You awright?" Mick just furrows his brows and blinks. His mouth gaped slightly open. Mundy grimaces. What is this? Dissociation? </span>
  <em>
    <span>"I guess this will have to be good enough. I won't be getting an answer out of him any time soon."</span>
  </em>
  <span> He tugs gently on Mick's hand, and he easily walks with him. He couldn't see Mick's eyes but he suspected the working one was as unfocused as the blind one. Suddenly Mick detaches his hand. Mundy looks up alarmed to see Mick wandering towards a large pile of stuffed animals. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Damn, he can move fast."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mundy scrambles after him and grabs his hand again. He glances at their hands for a moment before returning his gaze to the pile of stuffed animals. "Do you want one?" Mundy speaks softly, unsure of how grounded Mick was. He didn't want to startle the man, he may run. Mick nodded but didn't reach for one. "Go ahead. Pick one out." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick's head felt fuzzy. It felt like he had just woken up. His mind struggled to fill in the small gap in his memory. Mundy was holding his hand and giving him permission to choose a stuffed animal. He blinked a few times willing his vision to focus. There was still a little bit of static in his ears but Mundy's hand, firmly wrapped around his own, was driving it away. He rubs his eyes, hissing in pain when he touches his left eye. He vaguely wonders why it hurts, but that wasn't important. Mundy was talking to him. He focuses all his attention on him, closing his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You awright mate?" He nods. "I'm right here if you need me." He feels Mundy squeeze his hand. He squeezes back and opens his eyes again. Right. First things first, stuffed animal. His eyes land on a stuffed dragon. He reaches out to touch it and as soon his fingers graze the soft fur he knows it's the one. He gently picks it up and hugs it to his chest. He swings his other hand. Mundy laughs a bit and lets his hand swing with Mick's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that Mick has his stuffed toy they can keep moving. Mundy looks at his watch, damn. They'll have to stop for lunch before long. He hadn't expected Mundy to drift off like that. He still hadn't fully come back. He steps into the check-out line. Only one person ahead of him, great. Though, convincing Mick to give up his new friend was going to be hard. Hmm. The tag was tangling off its tail. That might make things easier. Mundy greets the cashier and hands them the toy. "Is there any way you can scan the dragon without needin' to take it from 'im? ‘e's...having a bit of a rough time," he asks politely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They smile before speaking, "Of course! He'll need to come a little closer so I can reach, but I can see the tag right there." He nudges Mick and he blinks before looking up at Mundy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We gotta get a little closer to the nice person so they can scan your dragon okay?" Mick nods and steps closer, and extends his arm ever so slightly. The cashier smiles and scans the tag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're all set sweetie," the cashier speaks gently. Mick nods before hugging the toy close to his chest again. Mundy releases Mick's hand only to find Mick is now gripping his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey. Mate, I need my hand. You can hold onto my shirt yeah?" Mick thinks for a moment before nodding and releasing his hand. As soon as he releases Mundy's hand he grabs onto the hem of his shirt like his life depended on it. Mundy sighs and pulls out his wallet. He pays the cashier and takes Mick's hand again. Mundy starts walking away but turns back to talk to the cashier. "Can I use your loo?" They pause for a moment, clearly working out what he means, before speaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah. It's thataway."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ta!" They look puzzled but Mundy offers no explanation. He takes off in the direction of the restroom. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy pushes open the door to the bathroom and lets go of Mick's hand again. He gets the hint this time and lets go as well. Instead of latching onto his shirt he rubs the dragon's fur. Mundy tears into the packaging of the toy he had bought. It may be a baby toy but it had everything someone needed in a stim toy. It made noise, it had buttons, a slider, texture, and you could chew on it. Of course, with how soft the silicon was it would not last long in the mouth of Mick. He squirts a tiny bit of soap into his hand and carefully washes the chewy key. When he's done he dries it off and takes Mick's hand again. He guides him out of the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they're at the car Mundy helps Mick in and buckles him up. He turns the radio off as soon he gets the car started. He's not sure how much stimulation Mick needs right now. He opts to keep it to a minimum. If Mick needs more he can turn the radio back on easily enough. After making sure Mick is situated Mundy drives out of the parking lot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mick feels fuzzy. He opens his eyes and tries to remember the last hour or so. They were... in the store and Mick got lost in his head. He looks at the plush in his hands. Right, he came back a little bit and picked out a stuffed animal. He squeezes it tightly. He hopes he's back for good now. He doesn't like feeling fuzzy. He squirms a bit, now that he's back he feels... Strange. Not buzzing with energy like earlier but strange... He tugs at the dragon's plush horns and makes a clicking noise with his tongue. Oh, that's what's different. It's quiet. He reaches out to the dashboard but he can't remember what button turns the radio on. Before he can whine Mundy reaches over without looking and presses it for him. Mick hums in thanks and leans his head against the window. The glass is cold against his face, it provides a nice contrast to the warmth in the rest of his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You were stuck inside your head for about an hour. We're almost to the bookstore," Mundy explains. Mick nods. Right, we were going to pick up some books to teach him to read and write. He's nervous but also excited. The nice man in the facility tried to teach him and he was doing pretty well before the others found out. They didn't like him teaching the "monster" so they took him away. Mick had tried to continue learning on his own but it was hard without a teacher. He wonders if Mundy is going to be his teacher now. He feels a jolt of terror, fearing that Mundy will be taken away for teaching him. He takes a deep breath and reminds himself that Mundy isn't from the facility. He doesn't have to follow their rules. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy glances at Mick out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be thinking about something slightly upsetting, but at least he wasn't retreating into his head. Mundy pulls into the small parking lot of the book shop. It's almost more like a house, and there's only one other car there. Mundy hopes it's the owner's, he hadn't spoken to them much but they seemed like a good person. Mundy suspects it was the number of people that triggered the shut down at the other store. Hopefully, the only person inside is the owner, he really doesn't need Mick shutting down twice in one day. "Awright. Let's go." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair heads inside and Mick sighs in relief. It's a very cozy store. Dim lighting, the only he could smell was old books, and there was no one but them there. Oh wait, there is another person. He almost missed it under the smell of paper but there is the scent of a human there. They smell almost the same as the books around them, Mick figures that's why he missed them at first. Mundy takes his hand again and walks forward. It seems to Mick like he's just wandering around randomly so he decides to pull on his arm a little. He knows which way to go. He can smell the other person. He indicates with his head the direction and starts walking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy lets himself be guided by Mick. He's done enough guiding for today, he's perfectly content being led. Mick stops just before a corner and turns back to Mundy. He whines and Mundy takes the hint. He takes the lead again and walks around the corner. Sitting at a desk is the owner of the store. He startles them with his greeting, "G'day! Ah! 'm sorry! I didn't mean ta startle ya!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's quite alright! I just didn't hear you come in. I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" they sound flustered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Had some issues that took up some time. I assume you're Leaf?" Mundy asks. They smile and take Mundy's hand to help them stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. That's me. You're Mundy right?" they inquire in return. He nods, as they notice Mick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Who's this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. That is Mick. He can't talk," Mundy speaks firmly. He steps in front of Mick, not quite trusting Leaf enough to let them get close to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I see! Well it's nice to meet you Mick!" He nods and waves before grabbing onto Mundy's shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't planning on bringin' him but he didn't wanna be left alone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's fine! My brother is mute too. Does he know sign language?" Mundy slaps his forehead startling Mick and Leaf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bugger. I didn't even think of that! I'm assumin’ he doesn't cause he hasn't tried to sign anything. Just used vague gestures. You happen to have a book about sign language?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm sure I do somewhere! Why don't you two browse while I look for one." They're off before Mundy can even reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh. Well awright. Let's look at some books."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It doesn't take long for Mick to find a book that catches his interest. A book about mythical creatures. A large drawing of a dragon on the cover is what makes him stop. He nearly panics when he realizes Mundy's hand isn't in his own but he isn't too far away. Mick scoops the book up and returns to Mundy. He tugs in his sleeve and shows him the book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want that book? Awright. I think I'm gonna get this one for myself." At that moment Leaf comes around the corner. They've got a pile of books in their arms that Mundy tries to help with. They decline his help and set the pile on the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Phew! Alright. So I've got a beginners book of sign language, a sign language dictionary, a set of adult education reading books, a set of writing practice books, and a writing instruction book."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aces!" He adds the two books they picked out to the pile and pulls out his wallet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick whines and Mundy turns to him to speak gently, "I know, we're almost done. You're gonna like the next stop I bet." Mick huffs. The first store took almost all of his energy. This next stop better be worth it. He watches as Mundy pays the person and gathers the books. He passes a few to Mick to carry and together they navigate out of the maze that is the book store. Mundy pops the trunk and shoves aside a large plastic case. Mick cocks his head, but doesn't make any noise. They put the books in the trunk and Mundy slams it shut. "How about I teach you how to do your seatbelt now?" Mick can tell he's just trying to distract him from the mysterious case but the chance of learning something new is too alluring to pass up. Mick nods and follows Mundy to the front of the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes Mundy nearly 10 minutes to get Mick to buckle himself up but the smile Mick gives him melts his heart. That smile makes the time taken worth it. Mundy buckles himself up and pulls out of the parking lot. "Our next stop is lunch. It's a small diner that I frequently visit when I'm in the area. It's a quiet place and their food is nice and simple. I think it'll be perfect for the first time I take you out for food." Mick nods, starting to drum his hands to the rhythm of the radio. "Oh right, I've still gotta give this to ya." He pulls the colorful plastic keys out of his pocket. "Ya can chew on the soft one. Just don't bite too hard, your teeth are much sharper than the average baby's." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick gingerly takes the toy from Mundy's hands. He holds it for a moment, just examining the various pieces. After assessing the toy he presses one of the buttons. He nearly drops the toy when it makes noise. He was not expecting that. He flips the toy over and finds the battery panel. He takes one of his claws and sticks it in the hole. It takes him a few tries but he manages to get it open. He takes the battery out and hands it to Mundy. He just stares at the battery in his hand, amazed Mick managed to know that's what made the noise and how to solve the problem. Mick flips the toy back over and presses a button again. No noise this time, just the smooth motion of the button being compressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick nods and moves into the next piece. It has a small slider and he quickly finds out how much fun it is to play with that. He has to force himself to move onto the next one before he gets stuck playing with that piece for an hour. The next piece doesn't have any moving parts, but it has different bumpy textures on the back. The final piece is the one Mundy said he could chew. He smells it, only a faint scent of soap remains. He puts it in his mouth and bites into it. He's careful to not bite it with his sharper canines. He doesn't feel like chewing on anything right now, but he thinks this will do nicely when he does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy watches Mick as he explores the toy. He had pulled the car into the diner parking lot a while ago. It seems Mick has finally satisfied his curiosity about this new item and turns to Mundy. He makes a motion that looks like drinking. "Ya thirsty? Well we're here, so let's head inside." Mick nods and unbuckles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mick cautiously follows Mundy. He had said this place was quiet but he's still concerned. Instead of chewing on the part he's supposed to he chews the hard plastic ring all the keys are on. Mundy just shakes his head when he sees him doing this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy makes his way to the counter and greets the man standing there. "G’day Stevie." The man smiles and shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Man, Mundy. How many times do I gotta tell you? It's just Steve. Oh, well hello. I haven't seen you around." Mundy grabs Mick's hand, worried he might try to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is Mick. You wanna say hi?" He directs the question at Mick. He thinks for a moment before waving his hand (and the toy) at Steve. He smiles and waves back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your usual spot is open, so you can just head right over."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sweet. C'mon Mick." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick tilts his head at the small table in the corner. Mundy grabs a chair from another table and drags it over. He puts it on the side adjacent to his chair. Both chairs have their backs to the wall. Mick wonders for a moment if that was on purpose but chooses not to question it. He sits and takes Mundy's hand into his own. Mundy squeezes and speaks in a soft voice, "It'll be alright. I'll explain the food choices to you and you can point to the one you want. You don't need to talk, they're used to this kind of thing here." Mick nods, and a woman in a blue dress walks up to them carrying some kind of thick cards and two glasses of water. She places one of each in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi there! My name is Beth and I'll be your waitress this afternoon. I'll let you two boys look at the menu and I'll be back in a little bit," she speaks in a cheery voice before wandering off to a different table and Mundy smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, let's see. They've got typical American food. Burgers, chicken tenders, fries, etc etc. Recognize any of that?" Mundy looks at the menu before speaking again, "Huh. It looks like they've updated their menu. Every item has a picture now. Why don't you find something that looks good and I'll tell you about it." Mick opens his own menu and looks at all the pictures before pointing at a picture of a burger. "A hamburger? That's pretty simple. It's beef, cow meat, on bread. You can add cheese and vegetables if you like but I like mine plain."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Plain," Mick echoes Mundy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want a plain burger? Alright. What about a drink? You've probably only had water huh? Do you want me to pick something for you?" Mick nods. It's hard to make decisions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. Does.. a vanilla milkshake sound good? It's ice cream, uh.. basically frozen milk, blended with more milk. They're very cold but they taste good." Mick thinks for a moment, cold.. hmm. He typically doesn't like cold things but he's willing to try it so he nods. "Alright. Now we just gotta wait for Beth to come back." Mick nods and plays with the keys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn't take long for the waitress to come back. "You boys ready to order?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We sure are. 2 plain burgers, medium, with fries. I'll get decaf coffee and he'll have a vanilla milkshake."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sounds good. That'll be right out sweeties." She takes their menus and retreats to the kitchen to give the chef their order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That wasn't so bad was it," Mundy says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick reluctantly shakes his head. It really wasn't. The woman didn't even ask why Mundy ordered for both of them. He begins playing with the keys again, biting the plastic keyring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It shouldn't be too long until our food is done. Burgers don't take long to cook." Mick nods and taps his fingers on the table while looking around. The place is nearly empty. Only a few tables have occupants and those that do are very quiet. There's the faint sound of music coming from the kitchen and the smell of food isn't overwhelming. The lights are plenty bright enough but they aren't harsh. Mick feels safe with Mundy and closes his eyes. Letting the quiet music wash over him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this one is so short :S</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy watches with a fond smile as Mick relaxes. It seems he's closed his eyes as his head is no longer moving. It doesn't take much longer for their food to arrive and when Mick doesn't react Mundy shakes his arm gently. "Hey, you awright?" Mundy asks, worried. Mick nods, appearing to be lucid. That's a good sign, he didn't totally drift away this time. "Well the food’s here, so go ahead and try it. If you don't like it I can order you somethin’ else, it's okay." Mick looks down at his plate. He picks up one of the fries and sniffs it. He takes a bite and grins. Mundy flicks his eyes around the room, checking that no one is watching. "We gotta be careful no one sees those teeth. They're sharper than an average person. They may get scared." Mick shrinks into his chair a bit and closes his mouth. "Hey, hey, it's okay! I checked and no one is watchin’. You can show your teeth here. We just gotta make sure to check before you start flashin’ them,'' Mundy clarifies. Mick eats another fry and nods. "You like the fries?" Mick grins again and nods kicking his legs. "How about you try the burger?" Mundy picks up his own and takes a bite. Mick watches him and copies his movements. He chews the bite and kicks his legs more. He sets the burger back on his plate and starts flapping his hands. Mick's excitement is apparently contagious as Mundy taps his legs, stimming away the excitement. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"He's actually happy stimmin’. This is great! I'm not sure why it's makin' me so happy that I'm startin' to happy stim too... Ah, that's somethin’ to worry about later! Now is time for happy™!" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They take their time eating, each occasionally stopping to stim with their whole body. Mundy had forgotten how good it felt to stim in public without being judged. Mundy yells Mick, "Let's get goin’ mate. We've still got two more stops to make before we head home." Mick nods and shoves his last few fries in his mouth before wiping the grease off his hands. Mundy nearly breaks down into laughter at how little hesitation Mick has when putting an entire hand full of fries in his mouth. Mick tilts his head and chews his food slowly. Once Mundy recovers he picks his head up off the table and snorts at how confused and worried Mick looks. "C'mon mate. Let's go." Mick nods and takes Mundy's hand. In his other, he plays with the keys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick only needs a little bit of assistance from Mundy while buckling his seatbelt. Mundy smiles at the progress and drives away from the diner. "We gotta get ya some clothes. I don't mind sharing’ but they just don't fit ya properly?" Mick nods, not quite sure where they're going now. "We're goin’ to an op store. It's goin’ to smell weird and there's going to more noise and people. But I'll be right there the whole time. We just gotta get some clothes and we'll be out of there," Mundy explains. Mick huffs. He doesn't want to see more people. "I know, but we gotta do this while we're out. It won't take long. You don't even need to try the clothes on. Well just hold them up to your body to get an estimate on the size." Mick's not sure what Mundy means but he supposes if what they're going to do is quicker than what is normally done he's happy enough.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It takes about an hour to get to the thrift store. Mundy makes sure to go to a different store each time he goes shopping, however infrequent that may be. Mick seems hesitant to unbuckle so Mundy takes his hand. Mundy comforts Mick, "It'll be awright. Just a quick in and out. Okay?" Mick nods hesitantly and lets Mundy unbuckle him. Mick holds Mundy's hand in a death grip, his other hand doing the same to the hem of his vest. It doesn't long for Mundy to spot the sign for the men's section. He gently pulls on Mick's arm and they start walking. Mundy almost thinks Mick has shut down again but he looks around when they stop walking. Mick reaches out and touches the rack of shirts in front of him. "Alright. Let's check a small first." Mundy grabs a random small shirt off the rack and holds it up to Mick's body. "Seems like it'll fit well enough. Go ahead and grab a few." Mick reaches out and touches a few of the shirts. He grimaces when touching certain ones. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Texture aversion,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mundy’s mind supplies. They end up with a small pile of shirts in various colors and styles. "Alright. Let's go get some pants." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of their shopping, they have accumulated a decent amount of pants and shirts, along with a bulky hoodie. At some point Mick stole Mundy's hat to further hide. They successfully return to the car and Mick gets right in. Mundy puts the clothing into the trunk. By the time he's gotten the trunk arranged Mick is asleep. Mundy sighs, and calls Liz. She may have just done him a favor yesterday but he needs her help. He keeps his voice quiet so he doesn't wake Mick. "G’Day Liz." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah! Hi Mundy! You're not hurt are you?" She has a worried tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No no, of course not. I was wonderin’ if you could do me a favor." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And what might that be Mundy?" He winces. She sounds unimpressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look. I uh.. I need you to watch the bloke I had you patch up yesterday." There's silence on the line. Mundy thinks the line dropped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz finally whispers, "The monster..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah yeah. I mean. He's not really a monster. He's mostly human. He can't talk but that has nothin’ to do with him not being human. I think he's autistic. Anyways I needed to go shoppin’ and he didn't want to be alone, so I brought him with me. And well... He's pretty well exhausted and I've still gotta get groceries," Mundy summarizes the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz sighs, "I-I don't know Mundy. I don't know if I can handle that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Listen, he's probably just gonna sleep the whole time I'm gone. You just gotta be there so he doesn't wake up and panic cause he's alone. He's already had uhh.. two panic attacks, one total shutdown, and several partial shutdowns in the past 48 hours. It's not that I don't trust him alone, it's that he's gonna freak out if he is." She sighs again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. Alright. How soon do you need me?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"About an hour and half or so, I'll already be there. I want to introduce you to him before I leave him alone with you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, that sounds good. I'll see you in.. an hour forty five." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Awright. Have a good one." Mundy takes a deep breath. That could've gone better. At least she agreed to watch him. He better get driving. He doesn't have much of a cushion between when he gets home and when Liz arrives. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mick is woken up by someone gently shaking his shoulder. "Hey, wake up. I gotta talk to you about something." Mick ignored Mundy for the moment and analyzed his surroundings. They were back in the cabin. Mick looks back at Mundy and waits for him to start talking. "Awright. So I've still gotta get groceries, but you're in no condition to go to another store with me." Mick begins to whine in protest but Mundy plows on. "I know you don't want to be alone so I called the person who patched you up. Her name is Liz. I trust her. She'll just be here to keep you company. You have permission to bite her if she tries anything." Mundy knows she would never do anything to hurt Mick but he also knows the assurance that he's allowed to fight back will help ease his worries. Mick nods slowly in response. "She'll be here in.. about 8 minutes probably. Go change out of that binder. As it is you shouldn't have slept in it." Mick grumbles. He grabs one of his new shirts and stomps out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He strips his binder off and pulls the shirt on. It's pretty loose but Mick doesn't find it quite loose enough. He growls and flops onto the bed. He crawls under the weighted blanket and takes some time to think. Mundy said this Liz person was the person who fixed his injuries. He also said he trusts her, but that he was allowed to fight back if he felt threatened. That makes him feel better. This isn't like the facility. She's there to make him feel safe, not to keep him locked up. Mick lets himself get lost in his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy exits the cabin when he sees Liz's motorcycle pull up. "I can't thank you enough for this Liz. He's a bit mad I made him take off his binder but he seems acceptin’ of the fact that you'll be keepin’ him company."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. That sounds.. promising. Is it alright if I check his wounds while I'm here?" she asks Mundy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"As long as it's alright with him. I do need to warn you, I said he's allowed to bite if he feels threatened so just uhh... Watch his body language. He'll probably hiss or growl if you're doing something he doesn't like. He's kinda like an animal in that regard," Mundy cautions her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah okay. Like an animal. Watch his body language. Kinda like I'm dealing with a scared dog." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Exactly! Well let's get you inside so you can meet him." </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Liz follows Mick inside the house into his bedroom. She didn't expect the creature to be in Mundy's bed. She almost doesn't realize it's in the room until he pops his head out from underneath the blanket. She startles a bit and the creature seems to shrink away as if it's scared too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah you said it can't speak?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I mean he can, but the words don't come out. And it's he not it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right. So what do I call him." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mick." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snorts, "Did you come up with that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nah, I asked if he had a name and he was able to write it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait. He can write?" she speaks incredulously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ehhh. Sort of, not for a lack of intelligence though. He was never taught how to, pretty much learned it by himself," Mundy clarifies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow." She turns towards Mick before speaking again, "Hey there Mick. I'm Elizabeth, or just Liz. I'm here to keep you company while Mundy gets food. Is it okay if I check the healing on your wounds?" He shakes his head vigorously and starts creeping back under the blanket. "How about just your eye? I was really worried about how that would heal." Mick hesitates for a moment before nodding and poking his head and shoulders fully out from the cocoon. Liz gently prods at the cut and Mick whines in pain. "I'm sorry buddy. It looks like it's healing just fine. Seems like you'll keep the eye. You'll still be blind but the eye can stay. Do you usually heal this fast?" Mick nods. "Huh, well I guess you're healing up great then." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright Mick. I've gotta leave now. Just try to get some sleep. Liz will be here if you need anything." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz nods before speaking, "Do you want me in the room with you or can I sit in the living room." She can see the panic in Mick's eyes even before he frantically points to the floor of the bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want her to stay? Alright, I'll go get her chair." Mick huffs. He keeps one eye open but lets his hearing tune out. He watches as Mundy brings one of the dining room chairs into the bedroom. He gives Liz a quick hug before heading out. Liz pulls a book out of a small backpack she has with her and sits in the chair. Mick watches her read for a while, before deciding he can trust her. He closes his eye and lets himself drift off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz lets out a breath she didn't know she had been holding when she hears Mick's breathing slow. Despite Mundy's assurances, she was still scared of the man. She wasn't entirely convinced he hadn't done something to Mundy to let him sleep in his bed. Where was Mundy sleeping if the monster was in his bed? She pondered this, and many other, questions.  She gets lost in her thoughts until the creature in the bed makes a small noise. She jerks her head to look at him. Mick is making quiet noises of pain and clenching his fists. Probably dreaming of fighting someone. She settles down a bit and watches him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, stop... Didn't do nothin’ wrong," Mick says in his sleep. She startles, Mundy had said he could talk but she didn't believe him. She would've thought he was just echoing something he heard but the noises were intensifying and he was starting to shift around. She stands up and approaches the creature. His mouth was open, some dots of blood visible on his lip. His claws digging into his palms drawing blood. She couldn't let this continue. She reaches out and gently shakes his arm. He jumps awake and grabs her arm tightly. His pupil barely a slit, she could see the terror in his eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's okay Mick. It was just a dream," she speaks softly, hoping he would calm down. His eyes seem to focus on her face and he jerks away with a small hiss. She puts her hands up and backs away. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Mundy had to get some food, so I'm here to keep you company." Mick watches her face and huffs before wiping at his eyes. She notices he's crying and she's reminded of when she found out who Mundy really was. He was so vulnerable that day. He was ready to die just to keep her safe. Without thinking she opens her arms to offer a hug. Mick watches her for a moment before moving towards her. She has to suppress an urge to jump away when he grabs her. She freezes when he starts smelling at her neck, Oh God. What has she done, this monster has the perfect opportunity to rip out her throat. But.. he doesn't. He opens his mouth and starts chewing on her shirt collar. She winces, this is gross. She pats his back gently and he sniffles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stay like that for a few minutes before Mick pulls away. He tilts his head at her, looking at the wet spot he left on her shoulder. He turns away and grabs a tissue box off the nightstand. He hands it to her with a sheepish look. After she takes it he grabs another item from the nightstand. Is that... A baby toy? She watches as he starts to play with the colorful set of plastic keys. He bites into one of the keys and then looks at her. He blinks and does a small wave before getting off the bed. He grabs his binder and wanders out of the room. She quickly recovers from her shock and follows him out of the room. He glances at her before entering the bathroom. She shakes her head. A few moments later he comes out twirling the keys on his finger. He acts as if she's not there and wanders down the hall to the living room. She follows, silent. He opens the front door and pokes his head out. For a moment Liz thinks he's going to run away but he huffs and pulls his head back in. His hand hovers over the lock for a moment before he decides against it. He looks at her again and tilts his head. He looks at her arm and notices a few dots of blood. He shrinks away from her and whines. She looks at her arm and notices a few shallow claw marks, likely from when he grabbed her. He looks close to tears again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz frantically tries to reassure him, "Ah! It's okay! I've gotten worse scratches from my cats! I just gotta get some bandaids. You got any here?" Mick shrugs and almost sticks his fingers in his mouth before remembering that's bad. He whines and starts chewing on the keyring again. Liz watches this action and assumes the first aid is probably in the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes her a few minutes but she does manage to find a first aid kit. She digs through the plastic bin to find some small bandaids. Normally she would just leave it, but it seems like seeing the blood triggered him. She puts the kit back in its place and looks in the mirror. It's not fair that Mick looks so human, his appearance, his mannerisms, even his voice. If it weren't for his eyes, claws, and teeth Liz wouldn't even be able to tell that he wasn't human. She sighs and exits the bathroom. Mundy better be back soon, she's not sure how much more of this she can take. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy finally opens the door to his cabin about an hour later, his arms filled with groceries. He sets the load in the table just in time for a warm body to slam into him. "Oof. Mick?" Liz follows and stands I'm the doorway. Mundy asks gently, "What happened to your lip? And your hands?" He gently rubs the red marks. They hadn't stopped bleeding that long ago and Mick tries to pull away. "No. You stay right there, I gotta get this cleaned up. Did you do this to yourself? On purpose?" Mick nods then shakes his head, he mimes being asleep when Mundy turns towards him with a washcloth. "You did it in your sleep? Were you having a nightmare?" Mick nods and lets Mundy wipe the cloth against his broken lip. He examines it after wiping the blood away. After determining it's going to heal okay he moves onto his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz stands in the doorway watching this interaction. It's only been 56 hours and Mundy clearly already cares greatly for this man. "Do you want to try to tell you what the nightmare was about?" Liz startles when Mick wrenches his head around to look at her. He stares at her for a moment before turning back to Mundy and shaking his head. Mundy's eyes meet Liz's and he jumps a bit as if he has forgotten she was standing there. He gives Mick the cloth to keep cleaning the blood with and walks over to her. "I guess Mick still doesn't trust you. Did you take care of him during that nightmare?" He sounds almost protective. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, he sounded like he was in pain and he was digging his claws into his palms. I'm going to be honest. I almost didn't wake him until I heard him speak." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mundy looks at her, "He spoke?! What did he say?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liz shrugs, "it wasn't much. Something like, "No. Stop."" Mundy looks troubled by this and turns to look at Mick. He's happily chewing on the corner of the cloth, avoiding the bloody spots. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He seems alright now. I'll see if I can get him to tell me what it was about later. I can't thank you enough. Unless you want to help me with groceries I think you've helped me plenty today." Liz nods and follows Mundy outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Call me sometime. We should go drinking again sometime." She drives off with a wave before Mundy can reply. He sighs and shakes his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mick watches as Mundy brings the groceries and begins putting things away. Mick sets the cloth down and pulls a random item out of one of the bags. He holds it out to Mundy who looks at what he's got before speaking. "That's milk. It goes in the fridge." He points in case Mick doesn't know what a fridge is. Mick nods and finds a place for it. Mundy gives him a bag of food. "All of this goes in the fridge. Wherever you can fit it works." The pair work together to put away all the groceries, Mick often asking Mundy where an item goes. Mick caught on pretty quick, frequently asking Mundy if an item went in a certain place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After setting Mick to put the last few items away Mundy opens the fridge and easily finds the luncheon meats and cheese he had bought. He wasn't sure what kind of items Mick would like so he got a variety. "Hey, Mick. Could you grab the bread?" Mick thinks for a moment before opening a cabinet and pulling out a loaf of bread. He looks at Mundy for confirmation before carrying it to the table. Mundy gestures to the packages of meat and cheese. "You ever had a sandwich before? What do you want to try?" Mick thinks back. He did have a sandwich one time. The nice man who taught him to write. Mick had refused to do the test that day and as punishment they withheld food. The nice man came to check on him and had given him half his sandwich. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bologna and American cheese." He echoes what the man had said all those years ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. That works." Mundy was not expecting an actual answer. He makes the sandwich and passes it to Mick. He stares at it for a moment before pressing his hand across it diagonally. "You want it cut?" Mick nods. "Awright, I can do that." Mundy gets a knife and cuts it the same way Mick indicated with his hand. It looked the same. Mick had asked for what the man had given him without thinking. How similar it looked was already making him remember things he didn't want to.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mundy watches Mick carefully as he picks up the sandwich. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He looks... sad.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mundy watches closely, eating his own sandwich. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Why would a sandwich make him sad? Ah, of course something mundane like that would trigger something. Well, at least he seems to like it.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mick takes a bite and smiles before he sets it back down. He blinks and frowns. Mundy jumps up as Mick starts crying. It's a gentle sort of crying that quickly evolves into sobbing. Mundy pulls him into a hug. "Hey. Hey. What's wrong?" He holds Mundy as if he was the only thing keeping him alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nice man," he mumbles the words, and it doesn't do much to answer Mundy's questions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay.. can I ask you some questions about this nice man?" Mick shakes his head. "Maybe later?" He seems to think for a moment before hesitantly nodding. "Okay. Do you want to go the bed?" Mick shakes his head. "The livin’ room?" Another shake. He points to the front door. "Outside? If we're goin’ outside we should go out back, I've got some chairs and a real nice view that way." Mick nods but doesn't make any moves towards the door. "You gotta let go of me so we can walk around the house, or did you want me to carry you?" Mick nods at that. "Awright, loosen your grip a bit." Mick does and allows Mundy to pick him up. He carries Mick out into the front yard and walks around the cabin. He sits in one of the lawn chairs and loosens his grip on Mick to allow him to settle on top of him. Mick sighs and snuggles into Mundy's chest. Mundy holds his back with one arm while the opposite hand strokes the back of his head. The pair stays like that for nearly an hour. Mick lifts his head and puts his hands on Mundy's face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He whispers, "Nice man, but not Nice Man." Somehow even with a monotone voice, Mundy was able to understand what he meant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Nice Man? Do you want to talk about him now?" Mick nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Taught me to read. Gave me treats. Then he was gone." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where was this Nice Man?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"In the facility," Mick's voice wavers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you want to talk about the facility?" He shakes his vigorously and presses his face back into Mundy's chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Facility is bad. Scary. Pain." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. We don't need to talk about the facility. What about those men who were attacking you? Were they from the facility?" Mick nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wanted to take me back," Mick explains. Mundy squeezes Mick slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I see... Since you're in a talkative mood do you want to ask me any questions?" Mick nods and squirms. "It's okay if it takes you all night to arrange your words. I'm here even if it takes an hour." Mick relaxes when he says that and presses his ear against Mundy's chest. The steady heartbeat helps him collect his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's your job?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. I mean.." </span>
  <em>
    <span>"I guess I can tell him. He's already deep into illegal activities.."</span>
  </em>
  <span> "I'm an assassin. People pay me to kill other people." Mick nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's in ... Box?" Mick whines clasping his hands. The word isn't coming to him. "Metal. Uhh.. door. Lock. Lockbox." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. So you found that when you were explorin’ last night huh? In there is all my identifyin’ info. Passport, family photos, etc. I can show you some photos if you'd like?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mick nods before speaking, "Not right now." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Awright. Well, just bring me the box when you want me to open it for you." Mick nods again before pressing his face against Mundy's chest. "You outta words?" Mick nods. "Do you wanna go eat something? We can just have cereal or something if the sandwiches are stressful." Mick nods and picks up his head. Mundy laughs and ruffles his hair. "Am I gonna have to carry you again?" Mick shakes his head and climbs out of Mundy's lap. He turns and watches the sunset for a few moments. It captivates him. Mundy takes his hand and Mick smiles up at him. He feels warm.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>that's all folks! I'm currently working on another fic that takes place after the two of them have been hired by RED and BLU. It focuses more of Mundy and the BLU Spy (it will be Sniper/Spy) but Mick is there! I've also got 2 drafts in this same universe that I need to finish up and post. One focuses on Mick being hired by Miss. Pauling and the other is about the BLU Medic, who is nonbinary.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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